Get what you give
by RachS
Summary: Set just after 'Derailed' in series one. A friendship develops between Daniel and Christina as they plot revenge against Wilhemina, all with a little help from Mark.
1. Chapter 1

_I don't own any of the characters that appear in his fic._

Daniel was pacing up and down the corridors at Mode. It was almost one o'clock, but he had so much on his mind that he had barely noticed the time passing. Alexis had found out about him and Grace, and now any trace of a relationship he had begun to build with his sister looked likely to disappear. Not only that, but Grace was now refusing to have anything to do with his family, and so his father was still in jail.

"And all this is thanks to one woman," Daniel said aloud to himself, "Wilhemina Slater."

As he walked by the closet, his train of thought was interrupted as he thought he heard a sound. As far as he was aware he was the only one still in the office, so he went to check it out. Amongst all the clothes and shoes he found Christina, sitting on the floor with a dress spread out in front of her, the bodice of which appeared to be made of old copies of 'Mode.'

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I was the only one still here," Daniel made his apologies and went to leave, but then realising that there must be a reason why Christina was still there at almost 1 in the morning he stopped and asked "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she shrugged and quickly looked away, not wanting Daniel to see the tears welling up in her eyes. It was too late, however, he had already noticed.

"Hey, come on, you're obviously not fine. What's wrong?" Daniel sat down on the floor next to her, though he made sure he wasn't too close. He didn't know Christina very well and didn't want her to think he was imposing.

Christina just looked at him for a moment. She had heard so many sordid rumours about Daniel Meade that she found it hard to believe Betty when she insisted that he was really a good man, and yet here he was sitting next to her now with a concerned look on his face, asking if she was okay. Perhaps she had misjudged him.

"It's Wilhemina," She answered finally.

"Ah," Daniel sighed knowingly. It seemed that most of the trouble at Mode could somehow be traced back to Wilhemina.

Daniel sat and listened as Christina explained to him what had happened. She told him how she had felt nervous yet excited when she had received the phone call from Sarah Jessica Parker's 'people', how Betty had had to persuade her to take the job, and how she had worked for hours with Mark, trying to create a suitable dress out of what little resources they had.

"I thought it was my big break, you know? It was a chance to be something more than a seamstress. A chance to actually do something with my life." She explained, and then on remembering that she was talking to the man whose magazine she was working for, added, "It's not that I don't like working here, it's just…"

"I understand" Daniel simply nodded; he was thinking the whole thing over. There had to be some way to use this situation to his advantage. Now that it wasn't just himself that Wilhemina had hurt… He could see a plan forming right in front of him. He turned to Christina and took her hand in his.

"At the risk of sounding like a pantomime villain," he began, with a smile on his face for the first time that evening, "How do you like the sound of a bit of revenge?"

_Oh so cheesy and a bit short I know, but if I get enough reviews I'll post the next part, in which Daniel and Christina, with a little help from Mark, plot revenge on Wilhemina._


	2. Chapter 2

_I don't own any of the characters that appear in this fic._

**Thank you loads for your reviews so far! **

At the mention of the word 'revenge' Christina simply laughed, thinking that Daniel was joking to cheer her up. The look on his face when she did so made her realise he was serious.

'Revenge? Against Wilhelmina? Seriously Daniel, but I think you may have lost the plot a little! I mean…'

'Just think about it,' Daniel interrupted, 'All the times she's put you down, criticised your work…'

'Hippy Hideous,' Christina sighed, remembering Wilhelmina's response to her last submission for Mode's 'Top Ten Designers to Watch.'

'Sorry?' Daniel looked puzzled.

'Nothing.' Christina felt her cheeks flush red. She hadn't meant to say that out loud.

'Anyway,' Daniel continued, 'it wouldn't just be for you and me. We'd be doing this for all the people Wilhelmina's hurt in the past. All the people she's trodden on in her attempt to climb to the top. There'd be a line of people all around this block queuing to congratulate us!'

Christina got up off the floor and began to tidy the mess that had been made in the closet as a result of her and Mark's dress designing session earlier that day. She was trying to process everything that Daniel had said to her. The idea of revenge sounded so silly and childish, and yet somehow so appealing.

'So what exactly did you have in mind?' She asked Daniel after several moments contemplation.

'Does this mean you're in?'

'Maybe.'

'Well, here's what I was thinking…'

Christina listened intently as Daniel explained his plan. She was impressed; Daniel was cleverer than she, or anyone else, had given him credit for.

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The following morning when she came into work, Christina tried to act normal, as if nothing was going on, but Betty spotted something odd about her friend's behaviour straight away.

'What are you so happy about?' She asked after noticing how smiley Christina seemed that morning.

'Nothing,' Christina answered simply. She wanted to tell Betty what she had planned with Daniel, but she couldn't risk it. Betty was trustworthy enough and Christina knew that, but the more people that knew, the more complicated things would become.

'Christina? Come on, tell me!' Betty had shared all of her secrets with Christina, and didn't like to think that she was being left out of something.

'You'll know soon enough.' Christina refused to say anything else to Betty. She caught Daniel's gaze through his office window and smiled at him. He smiled back and winked at her. Christina was completely oblivious to the fact that Betty had witnessed this, and had come to a very wrong conclusion…

**Sorry about the shortness (again!). Please review if you want to find out exactly what Daniel's plan is, and whether it will work out or just cause trouble!**

**Oh and by the way, the whole Betty thinking something's going on between Daniel and Christina is more of a sub-plot, just to keep things interesting!**


	3. Chapter 3

**It's been a while since I updated this but I thought I'd give it another go. Thanks loads for your support so far!**

"Betty? Hello?"

Betty was in a daze and so didn't notice her name being called. She was contemplating the exchange she had witnessed between her boss and her best friend the previous day. What exactly was going on between them? How long had it been going on for? And most importantly- why had neither of them mentioned anything to her?

It wasn't until Christina sat down next to her that she snapped out of her daydreaming.

"Oh, hi Christina. Sorry I was just…"

"Daydreaming?"

"Yeah."

"Let me guess. You were fantasising about that Henry again?"

"Yes, Henry. Sure." Betty lied. She wasn't going to mention anything to Christina about Daniel. She'd wait until Christina brought the topic up herself.

"Listen, Betty, can I ask you something?"

"What about?" Betty asked, though she was pretty sure she already knew what Christina was going to ask her about. It was obvious.

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain. Ok, um, imagine there was something that you wanted, really wanted, and you suddenly had the opportunity to get this thing, but it meant doing something wrong, something that goes against your better judgement. Would you do it?" Christina wished that she could be more specific, and tell Betty that the thing she was talking about was revenge against Wilhemina, but she knew that it was best to wait until the plan was underway.

"I guess it would depend on what that thing was," Betty replied. She was confused; what was 'wrong' about Christina having a relationship with Daniel? And why was it that mere days ago all Daniel was to Christina was her friend's boss, and suddenly he was something she 'really wanted?'

The conversation was stopped short by the arrival of Daniel.

"Gossiping at work Betty? So unlike you!" He joked. "Listen, I don't suppose you could grab me a coffee?"

"Of course? Anything else?"

"Just the coffee thanks."

Betty hurried off to fetch Daniel's coffee, leaving him alone with Christina.

"Are we still on for tonight?" Daniel asked.

"Sure, your office, as soon as the last person's left."

"Right. Don't be late, we've got lots to do."

* * *

Later that evening, when everyone else had left, Christina went nervously over to Daniel's office. She had been so confident and so sure about everything before, but now that they were actually going to put the plan into action she was beginning to doubt the whole thing.

"Has everyone gone?" Daniel enquired. Christina nodded in response.

"Christina are you sure you want to do this? You look really pale. If you want to back out that's fine you know."

"No, I'm ok. Its just nerves."

"So long as you're sure." He paused for a moment then continued, "Right let's get this plan in motion!"

Christina nodded again and picked up the phone on Daniel's desk. Daniel dialled the number and they both waited anxiously for someone to answer.

"Hello?"

For a moment panic took over and Christina couldn't answer, but she reminded herself why she was doing this and, after taking a deep breath, she put on her best American accent and said, "Hello Ms Slater, I'm calling with some very important news…"

**Sorry it's kind of short again! **


End file.
